The International Fund for

Ireland proudly presents

AMBIT 2017

Managed by the
Washington Ireland Program
 he International Fund for Ireland, an independent organization
T
founded by the British and Irish governments, has worked
since 1986 to help heal Northern Ireland and bordering areas
of Ireland during and after 40-plus years of sectarian violence.

With support from the United States, the European Union and
other countries, the fund promotes economic and community
development, dialogue and cooperation across sectarian lines
of animosity.

www.internationalfundforireland.com
@FundForIreland

The Washington Ireland Program (WIP) inspires and develops

promising leaders through a program of personal development,
policy debate and community service. Our aim is to support
leaders committed to building a future of peace and prosperity
for Northern Ireland and Ireland.

For over two decades, WIP has played an important role in post-
conflict Ireland by bringing together leaders from a wide range
of communities and backgrounds for outstanding leadership
and skills-development programs.

www.wiprogram.org
@WIPLive
AMBIT 2017:
Supporting young people at risk
Since it was established by the British and Irish governments in 1986, the International
Fund for Ireland (IFI) has successfully developed and delivered a wide range of
economic,peace building, and reconciliation interventions in Northern Ireland and the
border counties of Ireland.

Each year they invest in a select group of leaders and influencers, to learn from innovative
practice in the US - through a program called AMBIT.

In 2017, the AMBIT Program includes 16 professionals from Northern Ireland and
Ireland travelling to New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC, exploring the area of
Supporting Young People Facing Challenging Social Realities.

The group range in experience from practitioners and community leaders to those
involved in policy and policing around youth justice. Throughout their visit they will
be exploring US policy and practice aimed to improve outcomes for, and promote the
positive development of, young people at risk of becoming known to the criminal justice
systems in Ireland, North and South.

Coordinated by the Washington Ireland Program. the group will have access to many of
the leading organizations and individuals in the field in the US. The AMBIT program also
offers an opportunity of exchange between front line workers and policy makers, from
Northern Ireland, Ireland and the US.

The AMBIT Class of 2017 will be aiming to bring back new learning and new practices
to their own work as well as coming together with a shared voice to offer key insights
from the study trip to politicians and policy makers in Northern Ireland and Ireland, in an
effort to affect lasting change in their own communities and across the island of Ireland.

Upon completion, they will join the AMBIT Alumni, an ever growing body of
professionals from 16 years of successful study trip to the US, all continuing to serve
their communities in Northern Ireland and Ireland

AMBIT
Participants
Alexandra Johnston
Intermediary Support Worker,
Strabane A.Y.E.
Alexandra is an Intermediary Support Worker for a community
organization called Strabane Access Youth Engagement (A.Y.E.)
where she works with young people who are deemed to be at risk.
Alexandra has a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and
is passionate about supporting young people who have little or no
support network and helping them to reach their full potential. She
also has a great interest in the youth criminal justice system.
Annmarie Cassidy
Youth Leader,
Education Authority
Annmarie has being a volunteer youth worker for 3 years and
works with young people from the ages of 14 to 18 in the areas
of Bessbrook, Camlough, Cloughreagh and Dundalk. These areas
are deprived and are effected by anti social behavior, drugs and
organized gangs. Annmarie is working with other bodies, such as
the PSNI and Garda Siochana, in order to steer these young people
away from a life of crime and drugs, hoping to give them a better
quality of life.
Andrea Myers
Project worker,
Coxs Demesne
Andrea graduated with a BA in Community Youth work and a BA
(Hons) in Youth Work. After her studies she worked as a uouth
worker in a disadvantaged community in Dublin where criminal
behavior was high and youth development was low. She is currently
a project worker within the New IFI funded training project in
Coxs Demesne, Dundalk. Andreas role is to create personalized
routes into learning, skills, and training for disengaged young
people. The aim of the project is to remove barriers into education
for disengaged youth.
Barbara Wosser
Financial Administrator,
Unheard Voices Program
Barbara is the financial administrator of Creggan Enterprises
Unheard Voices Program which is a unique platform for
marginalized women who have never had their voices heard. She
believes women are fundamental to peace building as they play a
central role within the home and communities. Barbara supports
the co-ordinator on many programs engaging with participants,
facilitators and students allowing her to build meaningful
relationships with the women.
She has worked in the voluntary and community sector over the
last 20 years in Derry, Donegal and Dublin. She is passionate about
educating and empowering women as this impacts hugely on their
children, family and wider communities.
Superintendent
Colette Quinn BL
Director, Diversion Program
Superintendent Colette Quinn is the Director of the Diversion
Program and has served in that role since 2007. She also has charge
of the Garda Sochna Youth Diversion Office at Community
Engagement Bureau, Harcourt Square. Among her areas of
responsibility are the Garda Schools Program, the Garda Age Card
Office, and the Garda Youth Diversion Project Office. Colette is a
graduate of Trinity College Dublin and University of Ulster. She is
also a graduate of The Honorable Society of Kings Inns, Dublin
and was called to the Bar in 2010. Currently Colette is studying
for a Masters Degree in Mediation & Conflict Intervention and
has already qualified as a Mediator with the Mediators Institute
of Ireland. She has a keen interest in mentoring and believes
mentoring can have an extremely positive impact on a young
persons life when matched with an appropriate mentor.
Eileen Weir
Coordinator,
Shankill Womens Centre
Eileen has worked in a variety of settings and has been particularly
effective in: Helping long-term unemployed people develop
the motivation and self-belief, reducing reoffending and aiding
reintegration with employment as part of offender learning
initiatives, Strengthening grassroots change initiatives in community
regeneration projects along with a renewed sense of possibility and
community; enhancing participation in and ownership of local
initiatives, she also works with women from Protestant and Catholic
communities in order to bring them together looking at issues
common to both which are challenging to both.
Gary McAllister
Senior Youth Worker,
Carson Project
Gary has been involved in Youth Work in the Ballymena area
since 2011. He has recently taken on a new role as the Senior
Youth Worker for two community groups, the Carson Project and
Harryville Partnership Initiative, operating in the Ballymena South
area. He works with some of the hardest to reach young people,
who have fallen through the cracks in the system, giving them the
support and guidance needed to maximize their potential, and to
give them a voice within their communities.
Kevin Coyle
Finance and Program Manager,
Peace Impact and Personal
Youth Development Program,
International Fund for Ireland
Kevin is a career Civil Servant who joined the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade in 1979 and worked in a number of roles in the
department including the Ministers Office and Passport Office as well as
serving a two year post in London. In 2007 Kevin was seconded to the
International Fund for Ireland. He is the finance and program manager
on the Peace Impact and Personal Youth Development Programs for the
Dublin office of the Secretariat. Kevin is co-leader of the Funds 2-week
AMBIT study visit this year and previously co-led a study visit of IFI
project participants to Washington DC in September 2015.
Leanne Abernethy
Restorative Practicioner
AIMS Project/ Ulidia Training
Leanne is a qualified Restorative Practitioner with AIMS Project in
Ballymoney. She is currently doing her Masters degree at Ulster
University in Restorative Practice. Leanne is passionate about
young people, education and community so volunteers her time
supporting and mentoring young people to help them reach their
full potential, especially those seen as disengaged with society.
Leanne has started up a social enterprise business, Dalriada,
offering training and facilitation with all profits going back into the
local community to fund programs and development.
Emer McFadden
Community Development
Worker, Cranmore Co-operative
Emer is a Community Development Worker for the Inside and Out
project based in Cranmore Community Co-operative in Co. Sligo,
where she works with the most vulnerable and marginalized members
of the community. She is a qualified Social Care Worker with over
ten years experience in the community and voluntary sector. Emer is
passionate about providing supports & education to the groups she is
working with to ensure they achieve their full potential while becoming
or remaining active positive contributors to their community.
John Carson
Program Manager,
International Funds for Ireland
After a period in Department of Finance and Personnel, John then
joined the Central Community Relations Unit working to develop
cross-community and mutual understanding projects with voluntary
and community groups across Northern Ireland. Since 2007 he has
been employed by the International Fund for Ireland as program
manager for several funding streams focusing on initiatives that
tackle segregation and promote integration in Northern Ireland and
the southern border counties. From 2015 John has co-led the Funds
AMBIT study visits to the United States.
Kelly Moore
Chief Inspector, Performance
Assurance and Justice, PSNI
Currently based in Belfast City Centre, Kelly manages teams such
as the Reducing Offending Unit, Case Progression Team and the
Co-ordination and Tasking Centre for Belfast. Kelly has spent her
entire policing career to date in Belfast, having previously held roles
ranging from Detective in the Criminal Investigation Department
focused on West Belfast to a local policing team Inspector in North
Belfast. Throughout her time in Belfast City, she has focused on
connecting the Police Service with the community.
Paul Smyth
Youth Engagement Specialist
(Freelance), Wiseabap
Paul is a freelance trainer, researcher and evaluator specializing in
youth engagement. He has over 30 years of professional youth work
experience in Northern Ireland and in conflicted and post-conflict
societies around the world. He previously ran the youth focused NGO
Public Achievement. His passion is helping young people from tougher
social realities to reach their potential and to engage successfully with
authority (the police, politicians, other agencies) as effective citizens.
He also enjoys finding new solutions to stubborn problems. He has
a degree in Fine Art, and Masters degrees in Youth and Community
Studies and Innovation Management. He is married with two teenage
daughters.

Robin Stewart
Chairperson,
East Belfast Alternatives
Robin is from Belfast and was a former soldier and a former Trade
Unionist. He also was a Progressive Unionist Party member on
the Northern Ireland Political Forum and a Talks delegate for the
Progressive Unionist Party at the Good Friday Agreement. He has
been involved in community work and conflict transformation for
over 20 years. He is a community Tutor and delivers community
based projects. Robin is the Chairperson of East Belfast
Alternatives, a Restorative Justice Project that deals with youth
intervention and family support.
Ronan Lynagh
Director of Leadership Programs
with the Washington Ireland
Program
A teacher by profession, Ronan has worked across the education
and non-profit sector in Ireland over the last ten years with
organizations such as Young Social Innovators, Shine Ireland and
the National Office for Suicide Prevention, and the Innovation
Academy at University College Dublin, in tackling some of
Irelands most challenging social issues. Ronan is passionate about
creating open, inclusive, and resilient learning spaces as a means
to bringing people and ideas together working towards positive
and lasting social change. He is co-leading the AMBIT Study Trip
to the US in March, and is Program Director of the Washington
Ireland Programs Class of 2017.
Sean Murray
Outreach Coordinator,
Breathru Dungannon
Sean is the Neighborhood renewal Outreach coordinator for
Breakthru, a Drug and Alcohol Charity based in Dungannon. He
has worked with young people and communities in a range of
settings for the past 16 years. Sean has a high level of interpersonal
skills which allow him to engage with hard to reach young people
who are most at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behavior.
He is innovative and creative in his delivery of diversionary
activities and is keen to broaden his knowledge on the criminal
justice system in areas outside of Northern Ireland.
Patrick Duffy
Department of Justice
Paddy works in the Irish Youth Justice Service. As well as
having responsibility for developing youth justice policy he also
oversees the management and funding of a network of over 100
Garda Youth Diversion Projects across the country. Paddy has
been in the Department of Justice and Equality for over 30 years
and has worked in a number of different areas including Asylum
and Immigration, Organization and Development, Performance
Management and Business Transformation. Paddy has a Diploma
in Legal Studies and Post Graduate Diploma in Criminological
Studies and is committed to contributing to the improvement of
public services and influencing social policy change. He lives in
Dublin, is married to Maria and has four children aged between
13 and 20.
Sarah Lorimer
Peace Walls Officer, Lower
Oldpark Community Association
Sarah Lorimer currently works for the International Fund for
Irelands Peace Walls Program in North Belfast. She studied at the
University of Ulster, obtaining a Degree in International Politics
and a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies. Sarah has over ten
years of experience working on various peace & reconciliation
projects and has a strong background in community and voluntary
work. She successfully campaigned for the provision of youth
services in her local area. Sarahs main interests are oral history,
post-conflict transition/ legacy issues in Northern Ireland.
Sophie Gallagher
Development Worker,
Peace Walls Project
Sophie is a Development Worker with the Peace Walls Project in
Derry, Ireland, funded by the International Fund for Ireland. Her
current role involves engaging with and facilitating conversations
between divided Protestant and Catholic communities that are
separated by structures known as Peace Walls. The aim of this
work is to remove structures and normalize life in these areas.
Sophies work involves engaging the whole community in peace
building. She previously worked with young people at risk in
Ireland and has a masters in Human Rights Law and Transitional
justice with an interested in innovative community development
approaches.
www.internationalfundforireland.com
@FundForIreland

www.wiprogram.org
@WIPLive